Trail Tech Vapor Computer Review – Dirt Bike Speedo

I always thought it would be cool to have a computer dashboard on one of my dirt bikes, but never really thought I would actually get one.

Well, I ended up getting a Trail Tech Vapor Computer recently because it’s required for my bike to be street legal. So I might as well take advantage of this little piece of technology while I can. To my surprise, it shows everything a car or street motorcycle dash would show, and more!

I instantly fell in love with this thing as soon as I started the bike. It boots up quickly with a back-lighted screen showing a tachometer that tells the RPM of the engine, a speedometer, the ambient temperature, a clock, as well as a trip odometer.

It didn’t take long for me to start pressing buttons and find out what else this dirt bike computer could do. It was like I went back in time to when I got my first Nintendo game boy and couldn’t put it down….

Installation:

Putting the actual computer on is the easy part. It’s the routing and hooking up the wires that is a little more difficult. Don’t worry though, Trail Tech includes detailed instructions that will make installing the Vapor computer easy.

Hooking up the temperature and speed sensors are a little time consuming because you have to cut out a section of the radiator hose and calibrate both of them, but I won’t lecture you on how-to because Trail Tech’s instructions will explain everything.

Features:

Where do I start?… There isn’t a lot of features that Trail Tech left out.

Tachometer:

-It’s a digital graph that shows the current RPM
-Also has tach in a different mode showing the actual number of RPMs
-Will show up to 20,000 RPM
-Two programmable shift lights (yellow & red)

Speedometer:

-Shows the current speed
-Records the maximum trip speed
-Can alternate between MPH or KPH

Odometer:

-Displays a trip odometer that can be reset after every ride
-Has a permanent odometer that shows the cumulative mileage
-Can alternate between Miles & Kilometers

Temperature:

-Shows the ambient air temperature
-Displays engine temperature on different mode
-Two programmable temperature warning lights (yellow & red)
-Displays degrees in either Fahrenheit or Celsius

Clock:

-Shows the Real time displayed in 12/24 hours
-Has built-in stopwatch
-Shows the current ride time
-Shows total ride time
-Has permanent hour meter

Ease-of-Use:

There’s only a few buttons to push, “mode, right arrow, and left arrow,” so navigating the computer and all of its features is simple. Click mode once to change the display, click it again to see another set of values, then once more to go back to the original screen. The Vapor and all of its features are easy enough for anyone to read.

Durability:

It would be pretty tough to destroy this computer, as it can be tucked in below or on the handlebars. Even if you crash, the mount securely holds it in place so it won’t get damaged. About the only thing that I can think of that will break it is if your helmet hits it from a harsh landing. As far as the battery life goes, it will last about year full year.

Any Problems?

I had to search hard to find anyone that had problems with, because my worked great. A common thing that people complained about was installation; you have to cut the radiator hose to get an accurate coolant temperature, and mounting the actual computer was tricky on some handlebars. Another thing owners said was that the tach wouldn’t always keep up with the actual engine RPM because when revved up too quickly.

Is It Worth It?

Are you a trail rider? If yes, it’s definitely worth it for how cheap it is. It’s perfect if you go on longer trips, ride on the road, and trail ride often. If you’re looking to record your mileage of rides, like looking at all of the numbers, or want to keep a strict maintenance schedule for your dirt bike or motorcycle then there is nothing else that will make it easier than this. To order your Trail Tech Vapor Computer on Amazon click here.